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Super Bowl 49

There is nothing I’d rather do on this Monday morning at work than write about my favorite, and least favorite, Super Bowl commercials. Seriously, I wait all year long to judge the companies who spend $4M on a 30-second spot and a jaw-dropping $8M on a 60-second spot. What other venue allows your brand to catch the eyes of 111 million men and women in one fell swoop? What event can better excite and motivate your internal staff, sales force, or franchise network?

If you have the money to play, there is simply no better way to advertise your brand than during the Super Bowl, the most televised event in America.

The Best and Worst Super Bowl Ads, 2015

Budweiser: #bestbuds

I know that the Budweiser commercial with the horse and the puppy is an easy pick, but I still love it. What can I say? As a dog owner, I truly “get it” when people say their dogs are their best friends. I’m a sucker for puppies and horses…and Budweiser. I do wonder, though, is the subliminal message here that Budweiser is as important as a dog or a pet and can also be your best bud?

Proctor & Gamble and Always: #likeagirl

Oh, how I love this commercial. The Always brand seeks to redefine the phrase “like a girl” as strong and powerful, and it definitely speaks to me because of my history in sports and because of its honesty. There is no mention of the feminine hygiene brand Always or any of their products in the ad, it is simply a PSA for womankind. The young girls not conditioned to the dismissive label of the phrase “like a girl,” demonstrated running and throwing a ball with athletic vigor and it truly touched my soul. This commercial speaks to all girls who play sports and their parents and hopefully helps negate the asinine assumption that female sports are inferior to male sports or that if someone says you throw or run like a girl, they mean it as an insult.

Fiat: #thefiatbluepill

This commercial was creepy. And hilarious. Because don’t you want to buy a Fiat now that it has ingested that little blue pill? Viagra is the true winner here with essentially a free Super Bowl ad. Between under-inflated balls and driving a Fiat with sustained 4-hour “energy,” it’s safe to say the commercials, and talk surrounding the game, are pushing the envelope further and further with each new year.

Snickers: #you’renotyouwhenyou’rehungry

Thanks to some digital trickery, we go back to the idyllic suburban home of one of TV’s most famous families, “The Brady Bunch,” where Marcia is upset that a football has ruined her nose for the big dance. Except Marcia is played by “Sons of Anarchy” actor Danny Trejo, who growls, “An eye for an eye,” and hits the coffee table with an axe.

Mrs. Brady hands him a Snickers bar, and he’s transformed back into the sweet-talking, silken-haired Marcia, because “You’re not you when you’re hungry.” Tell that to Steve Buscemi, er, Jan, who re-enacts the famous “Marcia! Marcia! Marcia!” meltdown.

This was, in my opinion, one of the best commercials of the game — surprising, nostalgic, and Buscemi and Trejo were perfectly cast.

Doritos: #crashthesuperbowl

Now I like this Doritos commercial for a variety of reasons. One, it was funny, but mostly I liked it because the commercial was part of a contest called Crash the Super Bowl. The winner, Scott Zabielski, was able to direct a commercial that he created, get his “dream job” at Universal Pictures and take home a $1M check. I’d say that is one hell of a package deal. The commercial was clever and also very relatable, as we have all had an open seat next to us on an airplane that we hoped nobody would sit in.

Nationwide: #makesafehappen

Of course there were a few commercials that I did not like, at all. But one in particular really stood out, the commercial created by Nationwide, really failed. The Super Bowl commercials are not the platform to talk about the death of children. I thought the commercial went too far, and didn’t take into account the millions of children who would be watching, or of the parents who have had to endure the death of a child. It was depressing, insensitive, and the delivery was just plain tacky. End Rant.

Finishing Touches

All in all, the Super Bowl was exciting. Whether you watch for the football, the halftime show, or the commercials, there was something for everyone this year. The actual game was close, and I was brought back to my college roots during the surprise halftime appearance of Missy Elliot, rapping her famous song “Work it.” And Katy Perry’s show was fun to watch, I loved the fact that she came in riding a robotic lion, which is probably the only way to get a Lion into the Super Bowl….

As always, we appreciate your feedback. What were your favorite parts about Superbowl XLIX?